For the pasta lover, there are
certain offerings that one finds in homes and trattorias all over
Italy. These recipes constitute the basic pasta repertoire: recipes tested
and perfected through the centuries.

They also represent the basic truths of a successful pasta recipe: simple
and straightforward in preparation; requiring superb and fresh
ingredients; combining the ingredients into a sauce of classic harmony;
and then adding the pasta that melds perfectly with the sauce.

From this basic repertoire, it is then
possible to build and expand your pasta cooking experience -- expanding the varieties of presentation
and of tastes; and building on the concepts of melding and harmony.